Grand Theft Auto V is almost here

Thomas Anderson, 1st November 2012

Rockstar Games will be rolling out a fifth game in the Grand Theft Auto franchise - which is undoubtedly one of the best-selling and most controversial game properties in history.

And now we have an official (approximate) timeframe for launch, in addition to a teaser trailer slated for November 2. Indeed, earlier this week, some marketing material leaked that hinted at a spring launch date for GTA V.

Rockstar Games quickly moved to confirmed the rumored Spring 2013 timeframe.

"Grand Theft Auto V builds on everything we've learned about open world game design," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We can’t wait to share it with fans."

The game is being developed by Rockstar North, and the developers say that GTA V is the largest and most ambitious title in the series so far.

Details on the game are still scant, but the developers did say that the title is set in the sprawling city of Los Santos and its surrounding area.

Developers also promise a world with unprecedented scale and detail "bursting with life, from mountaintops to the depths of the ocean."

However, we do know that the GTA franchise tends to focus on multiple protagonists attempting to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld - even if their motives for doing so changes with every game.

The franchise has broken a number of records, resulting in Guinness World Records awarding the series 10 world records in the Gamer's Edition 2008, including Most Guest Stars in a Video Game Series, Largest Voice Cast in a Video Game (GTA: San Andreas), Largest In-Game Soundtrack (GTA: San Andreas). The Guinness World Records also ranked Grand Theft Auto in third place on their list of top 50 console games of all time based on initial impact and lasting legacy.